Keralam seeks relaxation in Centre’s ration card verification deadline

The Keralam government has urged the Centre to relax the three-month deadline for completing e-KYC verification of ration cards and permit the State to temporarily shift or retain inactive priority ration cards under the non-priority category, instead of deleting them, pending verification of beneficiaries’ eligibility.

In a letter to Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi, State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob has sought permission to retain National Food Security Act (NFSA) ration cards of beneficiaries who have not drawn their ration entitlements for six consecutive months under the State’s tide over/non-priority category until their eligibility is reassessed through e-KYC and field verification.

Disabling of ration cards

The request comes on the basis of the Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Amendment Order, 2025, which lays down provisions for the temporary disabling of ration cards of beneficiaries who have not availed themselves of their entitlements for six consecutive months. The order stipulates a three-month period for completion of e-KYC, after which the cards will be permanently disabled.

According to a preliminary assessment, as many as 44,279 priority ration card holders who come under the ambit of the NFSA in Keralam have not drawn rations for more than six months. These comprise 5,370 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and 38,909 Priority Household (PHH) card holders.

State’s argument

The State has asserted that the non-utilisation of ration entitlements for an extended period does not, by itself, establish that the households are ineligible for inclusion in the priority category. The reasons for their failure to collect rations need to be examined in detail, which would require time. Abruptly excluding such households, could result in genuine beneficiaries losing their entitlements, the letter states.

Under the proposed directive, beneficiaries whose ration cards are disabled would not be permitted to draw NFSA foodgrain entitlements. However, they could obtain foodgrains under the State category whenever required, subject to Aadhaar-based biometric authentication.

Their eligibility would subsequently be reverified through e-KYC and field-level verification within the prescribed period. NFSA status could be restored to households that are found eligible.

The letter also notes that Keralam has approximately 5,62,494 non-priority ration cards whose holders have not drawn rations for over six months. These households continue to be covered under the State’s tide-over arrangement and can obtain foodgrains whenever required through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication using electronic point-of-sale (e-PoS) devices.

According to the Minister, a similar arrangement for inactive NFSA cardholders would help prevent the inadvertent exclusion of genuine beneficiaries, while ensuring that foodgrain allocations under the National Food Security Act are utilised only by eligible and active households.